Unsung US civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin dies, aged 86

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Adam HancockJanuary 14, 2026 at 02:23 AM

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Claudette Colvin, a pioneer of the US civil rights movement, has died at the age of 86. In Montgomery, Alabama, on March 2, 1955, the 15-year-old Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus, nine months before Rosa Parks' similar act. Colvin's defiance and subsequent arrest contributed to growing frustration over segregation in Montgomery's bus system. She became one of four Black female plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging segregated bus seating, which successfully impacted public transportation laws throughout the US. Her actions helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the broader civil rights movement. Colvin died of natural causes in Texas.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Paris 30% Texas 40% Harry Belafonte 40% Montgomery Bus Boycott 60% Rosa Parks ×270% Montgomery ×380% United States ×390% Claudette Colvin ×6100%

Keywords

claudette colvin 100% civil rights movement 100% segregation 90% bus segregation 80% rosa parks 70% racial discrimination 60% montgomery bus boycott 60% us history 50% lawsuit 50%